1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a defensive system used in military aircraft and, more particularly, to an air bomb dispenser device that releases time-delayed fragmentation bombs that explode in the path of an attacking aircraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A well known system of protecting an aircraft from a rear attack is the use of a tail gunner system. An early means of control was a person stationed in the tail section of the aircraft. With ever increasing speeds of attacking aircraft, the person was replaced by a radar directed fire control system able to track multiple targets and quickly and accurately fire a gatling gun at the rearward approaching targets. This system is well adapted to heavy bombers wherein there is sufficient space, but modern economy sized bombers or even fighter aircraft have no space for a rearward directed gatling gun.
One system available for such aircrafts is a rearward-looking radar warning system such as an AN/ALQ-153 Tail Warning Set used in such aircraft as the FB-111. This system provides the pilot with a warning of rearward approaching aircraft or missiles and thus allows the pilot to take the necessary evasive actions which may or may not be effective where the attacking aircraft or missile is more maneuverable and quicker.
Another method of protecting the defending aircraft from a rearward attack is the release of a gas either being opaque for use as a screen or offensive in nature to disable the attacking aircraft or the crew inside. A screening gas can be effective if the attacking aircraft is required to have a visual contact before the release of its weapons. Unfortunately, however, radar directed fire or a missile can penetrate the screening gas rendering it less than effective. Furthermore, offensive gas would most likely not affect the attacking aircraft crew because of an internal air system having safe guards against either deadly or incapacitating gases. It is also unlikely that a sufficient concentration of the gas could reach the attacking aircraft to disable it on contact because of the high speed slipstream and the distances involved.